


the lure of the abyss

by gravastellar (CoffeyTime)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: American Sign Language, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, M/M, POV Keith (Voltron), Possessive Lance (Voltron), Sassy Keith (Voltron), Shiro is only mentioned briefly in this one-shot but he's selective mute because of the war, Siren Lance (Voltron), Tentacle Dick, Trans Keith (Voltron), this was supposed to be porn without plot but the plot took my hands and ran
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 03:20:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18421752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeyTime/pseuds/gravastellar
Summary: Keith collapses back onto the ground, sitting with one leg under him and the other out toward the guy. He sighs and rubs his face, sets down the lamp. “Ugh…”Then he hears another noise. Sort of like a cat’smrrow. Like a trill.He looks up to see the guy with a tilted head again and his eyebrows drawn at the center in confusion.“What the fuck are you.”





	the lure of the abyss

**Author's Note:**

> this got really away from me what was supposed to be just a small porn drabble ended up having a bit of plot. but i like it! and i hope you do you! enjoy ♥

This is his spot.

_His._

No one else’s.

His little hidey-hole. His hole-in-the-wall. His special find.

It’s a cave that appears only when it’s low-tide. Low-tide that only seems to happen at night around these parts. Which means the beach is empty. Which means no one else knows about the cave.

Which _means_ he shouldn’t find anyone else here.

 _Which is why_ he’s kinda pissed when he sees half of a naked guy singing some pretty long and drawn-out notes in _his_ cave. _His_ spot!

So it’s no surprise when he stomps into the cave, the wet sand sloshing under his bare feet. He never wears shoes out to his spot. Never out to the beach, even. What would the point of that be?

Just. Marches right on up to the edge of the cave’s own little pool. Gets a good look of tanned skin and chocolate locks before he puts a hand on his hip and clears his throat.

The singing stops abruptly with a yelp, followed by a splash as the guy drops more into the water. The guy’s head is still slightly visible above the water as it turns and locks eyes with Keith. Eyes that seem to glow dimly?

Keith blinks a couple times, dumbfounded by the glowing eyes before shaking his head and deeming it a trick of the moonlight… y’know… if it were a full moon… or if the moon were even out…

“What are you doing here? I didn’t think anyone else knew about this cave.”

The guy just… stares. And stares. Blinks and stares some more.

“Hello? I can _clearly_ see you.”

More blinking. More staring.

 _Is this guy deaf?_ Keith thinks as he raises an eyebrow. He leans forward a little, angling his body, eyebrows raised expectantly as he lifts his right hand to press his pointer and middle finger to his forehead near his temple, palm flat and facing the other guy. He then does a little salute, jerking his forearm out and tilting his wrist a bit more than necessary, but getting his point across. **Hello**?

More… staring… guess that’s a—

Keith stands up a little from his, albeit rude, lean to blink as he watches the guy lift a hand slowly to his own temple to mirror him. Not… an _exact_ mirror, more calm and kind of shy, if he’s being honest. Briefly touches the tips of his fingers to his temple and gently salutes back.

 **Hello**.

Keith blinks again, lowering his hand before turning to the guy and lifting both hands to his chest, pointing up with his pointers. He rotates them in opposite directions, one toward the guy and one toward himself. He tilts his head in question. **Sign?**

He watches the guy’s hand drop from the air near his head to imitate a knocking motion toward the water. **Yes**. He rose a bit more from the water, still blinking owlishly with that weird glow to his eyes.

Keith immediately raises his right hand to his face again, balling his fist and extending his pointer as he taps in front of his ear before bringing it to tap at his chin. “Are you deaf?” He asks, dropping his satchel on the rocks next to his feet.

The guy shakes his head and unleashes a flurry of hand gestures. First he brings both hands out of the water and holds them in front of him. He brushes his right pointer over the knuckles of his left pointer toward Keith before moving them to point in opposite directions.

 **Different**.

He then brings his right hand to his chest, balled fist, before rolling it toward him and opening his hand, palm up. Then he takes his balled fist again and lifts it to his chin, sticking his thumb out before brushing it under his chin as he pushes his forearm toward Keith. Then he holds his hand out, making the ‘y’ symbol with his pinky and thumb sticking out, palm facing Keith. He shakes it.

 **Speech not same**.

“Not the same…?” Keith mumbles to himself. He mimes the guy’s first sign, brushing his pointer over his other pointer before pointing in different directions. He makes an ‘L’ with both hands and points toward the guy, his thumbs touching. He pushes down and away, again in opposite directions. “Different language?”

Wet guy shakes his head. Then pauses. Then nods. Then shrugs, bringing his hands up to his head and air-quoting.

 **Kind of**.

“What do you mean kind of?” Keith asks him but not really, knowing the guy can’t understand—

The guy points to his… mouth?

Keith squints but he can’t see shit in the dark cave. aside from the eerily glowing eyes. Yes, he’s decided it’s kind of creepy. Definitely not human.

Wait. Why was he still here and talking with something _definitely not human_?

Then he blinks.

“Wait, wait… you can understand me?”

The guy nods.

“But you… can’t speak…?”

The guy then mimics one of _Keith’s_ earlier signs. He touches his thumbs together and points toward Keith, pushing them down and away.

“Right. Different language. But you can’t speak? At all?”

The guy brings a hand up to his chin, wraps the other arm around his midsection as if he’s thinking. Then the brings his hands down in front of him, fists balled, and mimes a knock with both at the same time. He pulls his left arm back and holds it in front of his midsection similar to how it was but he’s not actually wrapping his arm around his waist, it’s more hovering in front of him. He then takes his other hand and makes a smooth waving motion near the crook of his elbow as if he were sweeping something across his arm.

“You can sing? Oh… right, you were doing that when I walked in. I think, anyway. Couldn’t tell what you were singing,” he scoops up his bag and makes his way closer.

He hears sloshing in the water, telling him that the guy was moving. Keith pauses long enough to get the electric lamp out of his bag and turn it on, enveloping the cave in a cozy warm glow. He sets it down when he makes it to his usual spot: a place near the edge of the water but tucked into the wall like a little nook. Perfectly placed for laying back and working on his drawings.

Which is why he comes out here in the first place. Inspiration. And to be alone.

He looks up after setting his things down and sees the guy squinting at him, chest submerged back into the water. The only thing that pokes out of the water is the bridge of his nose and cheekbones, his eyes, and his curling damp hair.

They stare at each other for a bit.

Keith wondering how long he’s been like that and how much longer he’s _going to be like that_ and if any time soon he plans on _breathing_ —

“Are you trying to drown?” He takes a frantic step toward the guy. He can’t have this guy drown in his spot. Then it’d probably be haunted. Not that he shouldn’t drown in other spots; he should just—

It’d be great if he just didn’t drown at all, okay?

However, when Keith steps closer, the guy’s eyes widen and he dips under the water, gone from sight.

Keith just. Stares. At the spot where the guy was. Where there’s now ripples, then sill water.

Next to no bubbles.

“Um…Hello?” Keith calls, almost in a panic. He falls to his knees and looks over the water, searching for the guy. “Get the fuck back up here! I’m not against going in there and pulling your ass out of the water!”

He waits a couple seconds before growling. This is beyond petty. Was the guy upset Keith didn’t like his singing?

Big deal! Keith couldn’t understand the guy! What, he was supposed to compliment him on singing mumbo-jumbo? Kinda hard to explain it made him feel slightly uneasy when the guy was _underwater and probably drowning_!

Keith sits back on his calves, hands at the hem of his shirt. He scans the water one more time, debating whether it’s _really_ worth jumping in after this stranger before his eyes land on a few bubbles that rise to the surface near where he’s perched.

He gasps softly, hands slapping the rock under him as he leans over to peer at the bubbles. Then he sees the guy’s face, albeit blurry and distorted, slowly making its way to the surface.

The guy seems to hesitate before breaching the surface of the water slowly, eyes looking up into Keith’s. Eyes that are still dimly glowing, but he could make out the color now.

And all he can describe is… blue. Electrifying blue. Blue like the clear skies. Like the ocean. Pulling him in.

He catches himself leaning over a little too much as he almost loses his balance. He scrambles a little and sits back on his calves. He breathes in and holds it before adjusting to where he’s laying on his stomach, looking over the edge of the pool again.

Looking into the guy’s eyes again.

Feeling himself want to be pulled in, to lean down and chase him and _drown_ in those blue pools.

Then the guy rises up a little more, getting closer to Keith and stopping when their noses brush. Keith flinches slightly, causing the guy to pull away, sinking back into the water.

The guy is like ice! How long had he been here? Was the water really that cold? Keith brings a hand up to his face to rub his nose, never taking his eyes off the guy as he does.

The guy then reaches up slowly, his fingers breaching the water and hesitating, recoiling as if rethinking his actions. The he gingerly reaches out and experimentally taps the pads of his fingers against the back of Keith’s palm before pulling away suddenly.

The only way Keith can describe that movement is that it was similar to how one would test how hot a frying pan was. Or how cats will raise their paw and bat at something before pulling away quickly. That’s what this guy just did.

He does it again, and a third time, before Keith lowers his hand in front of him and watches as the guy deems him safe. Deems him okay to touch. At least this part of him.

His fingers are also like ice, shooting up his arm. Keith resists the urge to shiver. Resists the flinch that works it’s way up Keith’s spine. His fingers smooth over the back of Keith’s hand and Keith watches, lets it happen for some reason. Probably because he’s busy staring at the guy’s fingers, how they’ve got sharp fingernails. Claws? How they’ve got this translucent webbing up to the first knuckle when he spreads his fingers out. How it’s _definitely not human_.

Then he turns his hand over, palm up, and watches as the guy hesitates, retracts his own hand a bit before gently touching Keith's palm with the pads of his fingers. Keith looks up at the guy then, taking in his expression.

The guy is just, looking at Keith's hand with wide eyes. Then he moves suddenly, his other hand coming out of the water too and grabbing Keith's hand, lifting it to his face and turning it. Keith grunts as his arm is pulled out from under him and adjusts his position a bit so it's a bit less uncomfortable.

Then he hears this sound.

This little... _coo_ ? This guy just _cooed_ at his hand. Keith blinks.

"You're not human... are you," Keith whispers. He knows better than to ask, but he couldn't stop it from slipping out. It's not even a question, doesn't expect the guy to answer.

Which, he doesn't. Just continues to turn Keith's hand over in front of his face, poking Keith's fingers with a clawed one.

Keith yelps when his hand is dropped suddenly and his other is being yanked out from under him. He hisses when his hand hits the water, expecting it to be cold like the guy's hand but it's...

It's actually lukewarm. Keith blinks, settling his hand in the water.

Something... about this just... doesn't add up...

He should text Pidge. But then that would mean giving up his spot. He didn't want more people in here than there already are. If this guy can even be classified as _people_.

He looks back up to where the guy is holding his other hand in front of his face, bringing it to his nose and... and sniffing...?

Then he opens his mouth and _holy shit that's a sharp set of chompers hold on—_

Keith makes a startled noise and pulls his hand away as he scrambles backwards onto the rock. Back to safety. Pulls his hand close to his chest and cradles it with his other hand. _Holy shit_ he just about got his _hand taken off_.

All he hears is the pounding of his frantic heart beating loudly in his ears. Sees the guy... the _thing_... close his mouth and sink back into the water a bit. Tilts his… it’s head in a silent question like a confused puppy.

Keith closes his eyes and takes a few calming, deep breaths, trying to regulate his heart rate.

“You… you don’t _bite_ people…” Keith explains, slowly, one he thinks he’s got his breathing back to _somewhat_ normal.

Keith opens his eyes to see the… the guy at the edge of the pool, elbows hooked over it. Hears a splash somewhere behind the guy, making Keith jump.

“H-hello? Who’s there?” Keith frowns, lifting the lamp in order to see. The guy looks around but doesn’t look startled when he looks back up at Keith. In fact he… he’s… snickering?

His shoulders shake as a breathy chuckle escapes him. Then he looks back up at Keith with a big grin before another splash sounds.

Keith snaps his head back to the source of the sound, somewhere in the water. He reaches for his knife in his pocket. Starts thinking about how he’s either going to be killed in a cave and then taken out to sea when the tide rises, his body never to be found, or he’s going to have to fight his way to the exit and book it toward safety. He isn’t a coward, though, so he widens his stance a bit.

“Whoever the fuck you are, I’m not afraid to cut you up a bit,” he growls, eyes scanning the water and the entrance to the cave. Then he actually catches the third splash, coming from behind the guy. Keith _doesn’t_ jump because he’s _not startled_.

The guy snickers again.

Keith feels his face heat up in embarrassment and hides his knife. Must’ve just… been a fish… No one else knows about the cave, how can he be this jumpy? Probably because he just about had his hand bitten off by a half-naked guy in a pool in a cave near the ocean during low-tide that was supposed to be his little secret.

 _His spot_!

Keith collapses back onto the ground, sitting with one leg under him and the other out toward the guy. He sighs and rubs his face, sets down the lamp. “Ugh…”

Then he hears another noise. Sort of like a cat’s _mrrow_. Like a trill.

He looks up to see the guy with a tilted head again and his eyebrows drawn at the center in confusion.

“What the fuck are you.”

Keith and the guy just stare at each other for a few minutes. Hours? Before the guy places the palms of his hands on the rock and hauls himself out of the wa—wa— _ah_ —

That thing is _definitely not human_!

It doesn’t have legs! It’s like… there’s his hips and then it’s just this solid mass of… skin—scales?—where his legs should be. He sits on it, curls it up toward him and lets the rest of it dangle into the water.

So like… he’s part fish. That’s what Keith’s getting at.

Then it all fucking just, clicks.

Snaps into place.

Slaps his face. With his palm. Rubs his hand down his face with a groan.

“You’re a fuckin’ mermaid.”

The guy—the mermaid… merman?—makes an indignant squawk and puffs his chest. Keith looks over his hand to see these translucent fins twitching and raising from the guy’s back, kind of like how cats puff up when they’re scared.

Was this guy a catfish? That’d be funny.

Keith chuckles at the thought.

He’s dreaming, obviously.

Slaps his face again enough to sting, expecting it to wake him up.

He’s left with a stinging cheek and a merman leaning in curiously with a _rrmp?_ and Keith _won’t_ admit how cute that was.

“You’re a fuckin’ mermaid, and I’m not dreaming…” Keith rubs his cheek as he stares wide-eyed at the blue tail. “Pidge is going to freak out.”

But he wouldn’t tell them just yet. Maybe keep this little secret to himself for a little while. Get to know this merman before introducing him to his friends. Especially since he tried to bite his hand off.

“Wait, how do you know sign?”

Keith watches as the merman raises his left hand, palm open, and pushes it at Keith. He then takes both hands, makes the sign for the letter ‘K’, with his right on top of his left, fingers pointed in Keith’s direction. He rotates his hands over each other until his right rests on top of his left again.

**Your kind.**

“My kind? You’ve met a human before?”

The merman nods, grinning with his sharp teeth. Keith couldn’t stop himself from glancing down at the teeth nervously.

“Do they visit you often?”

The merman nods.

“In this cave?”

The merman shakes his head.

“Oh, okay, good…” Keith sighs and relaxes a bit more.

The merman trills again in question, the sound a bit lilting, similar to how one would go ‘ _hm_ ’ when prompting someone to continue. Keith looks up and tilts his head to mirror the merman’s.

He watches the merman frown as he lifts his hand, making the same symbol as before and poking his own chest, near his collar bones.

**Stuck.**

“You’re stuck? Here?”

The merman nods, letting out this sad coo that Keith just… couldn’t lie to himself anymore, okay? That was the cutest thing he’s heard and kinda wishes he didn’t have to hear it again because it made his heart _ache._

“How… how are you, um, stuck?” Keith swallows, willing his face to _calm the fuck down, please._

The merman—Keith’s really gotta figure out this guy’s name. He can’t keep referring to him as ‘the merman’—lifts both hands, limply opening his left and lifting his right, opening his palm. He then reaching out and over his left hand, closing his hand into a fist as his wrist meets his left pointer finger. He drops his left hand as he opens his right again, pulling it close to his body, angled like he were coming in for a handshake. He pushes his hand toward Keith and wiggles it in a zig-zagging motion.

**Catch fish.**

Then he points and looks to the pool beside him and then turns to the entrance, pointing again. He looks back down, slumping slightly, and Keith can only describe the posture as ‘defeat’. He then sees the merman tap his collarbones again, slower, with less emotion.

“You were trying to catch a fish when the tide went out and you ended up stuck here.” Keith paused, eyes dropping down to where the merman was _clearly_ out of the water, sitting on the edge of the pool. Then he looks back up. Surely if he could be out of the water, he could drag himself out to the ocean. But that tail is probably extremely heavy out of the water. The best bet this merman had was to stay put until the tide came back in and he was able to swim free back into the ocean.

Keith hums, leaning back against the cave wall. “So, what do I call you?”

He watches the merman’s face light up and his mouth part in a grin before it falls and he slumps again. He brings his hand up and spells out his name.

**L-A-N-C-E.**

“Lance?” Keith tests the name on his tongue, tilting his head. The merman— _Lance_ —nods. “That’s such a… _human_ name. Did one of my kind give it to you?”

**Kind of.**

Keith hums, crossing his arms. Glances at his watch and back at Lance. Does a double-take at the time and makes a surprised noise. “How’s it midnight already? Shiro’s gonna kill me,” he says, frantically digging for his phone in his pocket and shooting a text to Shiro, letting him know he was on his way home.

Lance leans toward Keith and sniffs. Keith looks up to see Lance pointing at his phone, then bringing his hand to his mouth to tap his fingers against his bottom lip, face lighting up in hope.

“No, this isn’t food, sorry. I, uh, have some snacks I brought with me. Though, I’m not sure you could eat them. I don’t know how well your stomach would take to them,” Keith explains as he digs through his bag.

He feels Lance’s eyes on his movements as he continues to dig through his bag, pulling out a container with snacks, fresh fruit, cheese, some crackers…

He sets the container down, taking off the lid, and zipping his bag back up. He watches as Lance carefully picks up a red grape, well, he watches Lance _stab_ the grape with a sharp nail. He smiles in amusement as he watches the merman sniff the red grape before plopping it into his mouth.

Lance stills as he bursts the grape in his mouth and his eyes blow wide, frozen. “Mm!” Lance looks down at the container, his tail flicking. He looks back up at Keith, his eyes sparkling.

“Good?”

Lance nods fervently, stabbing another grape and immediately eating into it.

“Try the cheese,” Keith proposes, pointing to the orange-yellow slice of cheddar. He watches Lance eagerly scoop it up and sniff, taking a small nibble from it before his posture melts.

“Mm…”

Keith hums to himself, taking a moment to himself to think as he watches Lance continue to munch on the snacks and moan after each one.

Making those kinds of noises makes Keith think he has the capability of speaking human tongue. He wonders how he could go about teaching Lance.

He squats next to the merman, watching him turn his wide eyes on Keith, chewing gently.

“I have to leave, now, Lance.” Keith pauses, biting his lip. “Is it okay… I mean… can I see you again soon?”

Lance tilts his head and shrugs before nodding.

“Is this spot okay?”

Yes. It’s _his spot_. No one else’s.

Yet he’s willing to share it with Lance. He doesn’t mind his presence. It’s… cute.

Lance swallows and nods.

Keith smiles, eyes dropping down to Lance’s lips as he darts his tongue out to lick salt off his lips before it stretches into a smile to mimic Keith’s.

“Oh, I’m Keith, by the way.” He spells his name out for Lance, and Lance spells it back at him. Keith’s smile widens and he nods. “Yep.”

Lance trills happily, popping a grape into his mouth.

“I wonder if you can speak my language,” he wonders out loud. Lance looks up at him and nods.

“You can?”

Another nod.

“...But you’re not?”

Lance pauses and looks down at the container once more.He raises his hands and brings down one hand, his pointer hitting his other pointer before he drops his hands again.

**Cannot.**

“Do you… _want_ to?” Keith asks slowly, tilting his head to watch the merman.

Lance looks up, surprised, and blinks his very blue eyes. He hesitates and nods minutely.

Keith smiles then and sits up straighter. “Okay then. I’ll see you tomorrow around the same time?” A nod. “Here?” Another nod, with a small smile.

Keith smiles back and stands, grabbing his container and shoving it back into his satchel. “Oh! Do you want help to the ocean? I’m not sure when the tide comes back in so you could be here for a while.”

Lance rubs his chin and looks out toward the entrance of the cave. He looks back up at Keith and squints as his eyes roam Keith’s body.

He flushes at that and feels a little offended, actually. “Hey, I can carry you!”

Lance raises an eyebrow, eyelids lowering to half-mast, lips twitching in a wry smirk. He taps his pointer to his chin before dropping it out toward Keith in a point.

**Sure.**

“Wh—I can!” Keith crosses his arms defiantly and frown at the merman. “That’s it, I’m helping you out. C’mon,” Keith drops his arms and motions with his hands for Lance to raise his arms.

Lance make a surprised trill, hesitating before lifting his arms. Keith crouches down and wraps his arms around Lance’s waist first, getting him up on Keith’s shoulder. Then he circles his arms around the swell of Lance’s tail, flinching and pausing when Lance’s fins twitches and flares, quivering a little before relaxing.

Keith watches the fins as he resumes getting a hold on the merman. He’d been out of water for a while now, so he’s not as slippery as Keith was thinking he was going to be. But when he drags his hand over the swell of Lance’s tail and down, Lance’s fins twitch and actually smack him in the face. He was about to complain when he heard a low purring… moan… come from the merman over his shoulder.

Keith swallows and continues trying to get a good hold on Lance, jumping slightly when the merman lifts his tail and curls it around Keith’s midsection. Keith blinks and wraps one arm under the swell of Lance’s tail and the other around the small of his back before standing. He wobbles only a bit before he’s balanced again.

“See? Told ya,” Keith breathes against Lance’s ribs, feeling the slits from Lance’s gills flutter. Keith tries not to focus on how nice Lance’s skin is or wonder how sensitive his gills are. He blushes and starts taking a few steps toward the exit.

Lance, on the other hand, has no problems being touchy-feely with Keith.

He loves Keith’s hair, apparently, because he won’t stop running his fingers through it, down his neck, under his _shirt_ with his _cold hands_ ! It makes Keith shiver with a “ _gah!_ ” But Lance continues. Just, trills as he runs a hand over Keith’s back, mapping his muscles, his scars, the bumps of his spine. Leans over more, causing Keith to waver, to reach even further down and run his hand over Keith’s ass, over his pants. Then _squeezes_.

Keith freezes mid-step and jostles Lance a bit as he hoists him further up before making a quick bee-line for the ocean. It’s pitch black and he’s thankful that, for some reason, Lance has glowy marks on his tail.

“ _Okay_! Here’s the ocean!” Keith announces a little too loudly over the soft crashes of the waves.

Lance sits up and turns in Keith’s hold to look over to the water under Keith’s feet. He coos happily and bends over to press his nose and… no wait… no that was his lips… Lance just _kissed his cheek_.

Keith just… kinda goes really still, eyes wide. He feels Lance wriggle a little and slip out of his hold, his arms still up as if he were still cradling Lance. He feels something wet and cold slide over his hand and tugs gently, shaking him out of his stupor. He swallows and bends down, crouching until he’s level with Lance.

With one hand still in Keith’s, he brings his other, palm open, back of his hand facing Keith, and taps his chin before pushing it out toward Keith, grinning big.

 **Thank you**.

Keith’s knees wobble where he’s crouching and he’s sure he’s gonna feel that in a minute. He feels heat rise to his face and he nods back. “Mhm… s-so… tomorrow then?”

Lance nods and trills happily, still grinning. He then yanks on Keith’s hand, causing Keith to wobble forward and lose his balance. He shoots out his hand to catch himself on _anything_ before he completely falls, only to press his hand against Lance’s chest. He hears a small cooing noise and sees Lance’s eyes only a few inches away before they’re closing and Lance is leaning in and—

Keith squeezes his eyes shut, his heart hammering in his chest and blood rushing to his face, causing his cheeks to absolutely _burn_ when he feels Lance press his cold lips to the corner of his mouth. It’s a brief peck. It almost feels sad, but he can _feel_ the emotion behind it, the gratitude, the wonder, the admiration. The hesitation, the eagerness, the want.

Then he hears another coo, this one mixed with a giggle. It sounds so melodic, almost hypnotizing. It echos around in his head, and he barely feels the cold leave his hand. Barely feels his other hand drop and plant itself in the mud as he falls forward.

When his eyes open, they flutter as if roused from sleep.

Lance is nowhere to be seen. But he can hear, faintly and in the distance, a soothing melody that intertwines itself with the ocean’s gentle waves. It’s light and airy, almost playful, begging him to follow but ordering him to stay. He feels the pull in his chest as he stands, hand coming to clutch his shirt in front of his heart.

He starts backing away and turns to walk home.

He swears, by the time he rounds the cave, he hears a faint cooing giggle.

 

* * *

 

Lance has his elbows over the side of the small pool inside the cave, eyeing the sack next to where Keith sits. Keith _knows_ Lance can smell the fish in there.

“You’ll get one when you get a word correct. That’s what they’re here for: motivation.” Keith pats the sack and returns to his notepad. He’s using it to plan out a series of words to teach Lance.

He figures it’d be best to start with basics. Things like _hello_ and _yes_ and _no_. He figures just those three would be enough for the day, not wanting to overwhelm Lance. He taps the pencil to his chin, staring down at the words. But what if he’s a quick learner? Keith hums in thought.

“Okay let’s start off with ‘hello.’ Or even the shortened ‘hi,’ can you do that?”

Lance looks up at him and then down before looking back up and squinting at Keith. He opens his hands, cups his palms and moves one hand in an arc and brings his fingertips to his other hand’s palm.

**Again.**

Keith nods and turns to face Lance, tucking his legs under him.

“Hi.”

Lance opens his mouth and Keith hears a sound similar to what he was trying to teach. “Close. Try again. Hi.”

Lance huffs and opens his mouth again and kind of wheezes.

Keith stifles a chuckle before putting his notebook aside.

“This is going to be harder than I thought,” Keith mumbles as he shifts into his sack of fish. “I’ve never taught anyone to read before so…”

He pulls out a still-wriggling tuna and tosses it into the pool, watching Lance lock his eyes onto it and follow it’s arc. He immediately dives for it, splashing into the water without a second thought, his tail flicking some water over the edge before it, too, disappears under the water.

Keith thinks while Lance is busy catching his fish. There’s not much he knows about Lance or his kind that would give him an easier time trying to teach him how to speak. If only he had someone like a teacher or someone who is… fluent in… languages…

He slumps forward with a groan. He’s going to _have_ to call Pidge, isn’t he? Ugh…

He pulls out his phone and tells Siri to _call Katie_.

It rings. And rings. And rings. And Keith pulls his phone away from his face to look at the ‘call connecting…’ and his eyes flick up to the time. He winces, seeing it’s midnight but then it passes when he remembers Pidge is always up late. _Always_. Without fail. Sometimes pulling all-nighters.

He shifts the phone back to his ear just as the line connects and he’s met with a gruff “ _what_.”

“Hey, Pidge. Good morning to you too.”

“ _Funny_.”

“Yeah, I know. Listen, I found something that might interest you.”

Some shuffling on the other end before he hears a sigh and then, “ _okay. What is it_.”

“Well… It’s more of a… you’ll have to see it for yourself to believe it.”

Keith hears a long groan and a sigh as there’s more ruffling. “ _Your house, I assume_?”

“Well, kind of. Meet me at the beach in front of my house.”

“ _Kay. There in ten_.” Click. Just as Lance reappears with a small splash.

“I called in a person to help. They’re an expert in languages. Also likes to study the unknown and do experiments. They won’t hurt you, but they’ll probably be super excited.” Keith explains as he puts his notepad back into his bag and pulls out another fish from his sack.

“Just stay here, I’ll get them and be back.” He tosses the fish into the water and watches Lance dive for it. He takes his leave with a small chuckle.

He doesn’t sit on the rock waiting for Pidge for no more than a few more minutes before they’re trudging down the walkway in their sweats and a baggy shirt that reads ‘I believe’ and Keith thinks it’s fitting.

“Aight. I’m here. What’s so special I have to see with my own eyes?” They come to a stop in front of Keith and cross their arms. He notices they didn’t fail to bring their satchel which probably has all sorts of items for their studies, should she find a subject interesting enough.

Keith thinks Lance will interest them plenty.

“You remember trying to convince me mermaids were real? And how I was adamant they don’t exist?”

Pidge’s arms drop slowly and their eyes widen behind their glasses. “Are you telling me… Keith, are you telling me you believe?”

Keith snorts and rolls his eyes. “Listen—”

“Yeah, uh-huh, I’m listening,” they nod, hand on their hip and the other behind their ear. “Go on.”

Keith swats at Pidge’s hand behind their ear with a chuckle. “Shut up.”

“Fair.”

“Before I tell you anything, you have to promise me you won’t tell _anyone_ else.”

Pidge studies him for a moment, crossing their arms. After a minute of contemplation, they raise both their hands. “Okay, okay. What’s so important I can’t tell anyone else?”

“You have to swear Pidge,” Keith frowns, crossing his arms.

Pidge crosses their arms in return. “What do you want from me, a blood pact? A spit swear? Pinkie promise? What?”

Keith rolls his eyes. “Just your word is plenty. The fuck’s a spit swear?”

“Y’know, when you make a promise or something and in order to not break it you spit in your palm and shake hands with the other person you’re making the promise to. Unbreakable or whatever. It was popular around the nineteenth century. A more civilized version of the blood oath.”

“Yeah, your… your word is plenty.”

“Aight, fine. I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

“Good. That also extends to the location.” Keith points at Pidge. “Not a word.”

Pidge holds up their hands in exasperation. “Fine, fine! Now, tell me what you called me out here for? _Please_? You know I hate begging.”

“Yeah, I do. But it’s near on-par with how you’re going to act soon.”

Keith turns and trudges back to the cave, Pidge hot and silent on his heels. He pauses at the entrance, taking a breath before walking into the cave. “So this cave only appears during low-tide. For some reason, that appears to be most nights. I come here to chill, mainly when Shiro just gives me a hard time. But mostly when I just need to escape. Last night, however,” he mumbles, rounding a bunch of rocks to reveal the pool. “I found a guest.”

Pidge stops at the corner of the rocks and just stares. Lance is out of the water and has shoved his entire torso into Keith’s sack of fish.

Keith makes a startled noise and walks briskly over to where Lance has shoved himself into the fray of flopping and wiggling fish. “Hey! These were treats for you! For getting a word correct, stop!”

He shoves at Lance’s hip, getting Lance’s tail to flick him with water in return. He shoves harder and Lance’s tail comes up to whack him on his shoulder, causing him to stumble back onto his butt. “Hey!”

Lance looks out of the bag, eyes glowing in a predatory-like fashion, a small growl coming from his throat, a fish hanging out of his mouth. He glares at Keith before his eyes widen and focus on Pidge. He stills, eyes locking on Pidge.

Pidge breathes out in awe, bending down into a crouch to take off their satchel. “Keith, what…”

Then movement. Very fast and wet movement. Lance darts out of the satchel and bee-lines for the water. He’s gone with a very clean splash. The water rippling for a few before stilling again.

Keith frowns as he goes, a few fish flopping into the water after him. “Geeze…” He mumbles as he picks up the fish and secures his sack. He turns back to Pidge who has made their way to the water’s edge and is peering over it, satchel gripped tightly in hand.

“Holy shit, Keith! You found a mermaid!”

“Merman,” Keith corrects with a mumble. He sits down in his little nook and crosses his arms. “His name’s Lance. He can’t speak our language but for some reason he knows sign? Like… a lot of it. A lot of simple phrases and words, anyway. On top of that, he seems to be able to understand without signing at him.”

Pidge sits next to Keith, still staring wide-eyed at the pool of water. “Holy shit…”

Keith sighs and lets Pidge process.

“A mermaid!”

“Mhm.”

“Wow…”

Keith has taken out his sketchbook and was on his third sketch of Lance when Pidge finally starts rummaging around in their satchel for a few things.

“Alright, so, why did you call me out here? Experiments? Studies? Need me to poke at him or something?”

“No, no, I was actually,” he sets down his sketchbook, “wondering if you would help me teach him to speak our language.”

Pidge looks at Keith over the rim of their glasses. “Seriously? To teach him? You don’t wanna know what makes him tick? What he can and can’t eat? How his body processes air when he’s above land? How he doesn’t seem to dry out when he’s out of water? Keith? You want me to _teach_ him to talk human and not know _why he can’t_?”

Keith shrugs.

“I don’t understand you sometimes, Kogane,” they mutter. “But okay.” They pull out a book and pen, opening to a fresh page. “So what have you done so far?”

“Tried getting him to say hi or hello.” He opens his own notepad. “He got as far as wheezing out the ‘h’ so not much progress.”

“He’s got to understand how letters work, Keith. You can’t jump straight into words expecting him to copy.”

Keith shrugs, his shoulders up to his ears as his voice pitches up. “How was I supposed to know? I don’t even _remember_ learning how to speak and it’s not like I have a means of teaching anyone about speaking _english_.”

“Fair point. But still. We’ll start with the basics. Teach him the alphabet.”

“You don’t think that’ll be to hard?”

“You’ll never know until you try.”

Keith shrugs and goes back to staring at the water. “Lance? It’s okay to come out, y’know.” He stands and gets closer to the water, sitting at the edge. “It’s alright.”

Nothing happens for a few minutes. Then slowly, Lance emerges close to Keith, keeping a wary eye on Pidge. He slinks back behind Keith, out of Pidge’s sight, and whimpers softly enough for only Keith to hear.

Keith looks up at Pidge who is busy writing something in their book and turns his attention back to Lance. “It’s okay,” he says softly, reaching a hand out before thinking better of it and dropping it to his knee. What was he going to do anyway? Comb his wet hair out of his face? Cup his cheek? Brush his fingers over the clump of blue scales that shimmer next to his eyes? Get a grip.

“They’re not going to hurt you.”

He watches Lance frown, eyes not leaving Pidge’s, and sinks even further behind Keith.

Keith admittedly finds it adorable.

“Wanna hold my hand, then?”

He hates how soft his voice sounds to his own ears, hopes Pidge can’t hear him, and feels his face warm when Lance _finally_ looks up at him and nods. He smiles and drops his hand to the water for Lance to hold on to. He looks back at Pidge and tries to school his expression when Lance slides his hand into Keith’s.

“He’s not very keen on wanting to know you, it seems.”

“He doesn’t need to know me.”

“But didn’t you wanna get to know him and understand him more?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“That means he’s gotta get to know you too, Pidge. C’mon.” He pats the rock next to him.

Pidge looks at him before rolling their eyes with a sigh. “Fine.” They get up and walk a few steps before sitting down gently next to Keith.

He feels Lance tug on his arm and looks over to find Lance’s hand sticking out of water, still holding onto Keith’s, but his head is submerged. He stares up at Keith through the surface of the water and Keith feels his chest tighten.

Pidge looks around Keith and their eyes catch on their hands. “He doesn’t even wanna know me.”

“He’s shy. Why don’t you give him a fish?” Keith nods back toward his stash of fish. He squeezes Lance’s hand and he looks back at the merman. Lance has poked his head back above water, keeping his nose and below submerged. He’s looking up at Keith with big eyes, clearly conflicted and nervous.

Keith gives him a small smile. “Nothing to worry about, Lance, I promise.”

Lance seems to really consider him, eyes flicking down to his chest, then where their hands are clasped, then over to Pidge. He raises up more, his shoulders now out of the water.

Keith turns slightly and dips his legs into the water. Lance immediately perks up and hooks his chin over Keith’s knee, still holding onto his hand.

Pidge returns with a fish and gently mirrors Keith, dipping their legs into the pool. They hold the fish out for Lance to take.

He looks at the fish and licks his lips before looking up at Pidge. Then up at Keith.

“Go ahead,” Keith chuckles.

Lance beams and reaches out for the fish with his free hand and grabs at it. Pidge holds the fish out by the tail and Lance grabs it around the middle. Pidge’s eyes go wide with wonder as they note the webbing, claws, and hand size.

“Incredible,” Pidge breathes, watching Lance retreat back behind Keith’s legs to munch on the fish. He tosses the clean bones onto the side of the pool next to Keith. He lets go of Keith’s hand to pick apart the fish.

Pidge is scribbling things into their notebook when Keith looks back at them.

“Okay, whenever he’s ready,” Pidge puts the notebook to the side and pulls out the book they were scribbling in before.

Lance then grabs the bones and dives into the water. Pidge watches Lance’s tail disappear into the pool before looking up at Keith with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh so, every time he eats the fish he’s been underwater. When he resurfaces he doesn’t have the bones or anything. So I’m assuming he buries it at the bottom of the pool,” Keith explains with a shrug. “My hypothesis, anyway.”

“Right, well, I could just _ask_ him,” Pidge says when Lance resurfaces, bobbing close to Keith but not as close as before, looking at Pidge carefully.

“Lance, this is Pidge,” Keith spells their name out. Lance spells it back. “Yep.”

“Hi, Lance.” Pidge leans over their knees and adjusts their glasses.

Lance waves.

“So you can understand us, but you can’t speak our language except through sign?”

A nod.

“Do you want to?”

Another nod.

“Okay, I have a few questions. Who taught you how to sign?”

Pidge has set the book aside for now and is focusing on Lance who looks over toward Keith before shrugging.

 **Your kind**.

“He says ‘your kind’,” Keith explains.

“Right, one of us. But do you know a name?”

A nod.

“Wanna… tell us?”

Keith watches Lance bite his lip and look away. “Guess he doesn’t trust us that much?” He won’t admit how that hurt just a bit. Then he jumps slightly as he feels something cold wrap around his ankle.

“You alright?” Pidge asks, looking over to Keith.

Keith looks over to Pidge then down at Lance who is looking up at him with a shy smile. “Y-yeah I’m fine.”

Then Lance spells out a name for them and Keith tilts his head, wondering where he’s heard that name before. Pidge is waiting patiently, not understanding sign language.

“I swear I know this name. Pidge do you, by chance, know Hunk?”

“Hunk? As in Hunk Garrett? One of the best engineers over at Garrison Incorporated?” Pidge leans in and looks at Keith with wide eyes before turning their attention down at Lance. “You don’t mean him? Big guy, always wearing a yellow headband? Him?”

Lance shrinks back when Pidge leans in even closer and nods his head meekly.

“Holy shit! Yeah I know him! He’s my best mate, that’s how _you_ know the name, Keith. I talk about him every now and then. Excellent cook, too, you’ve had some of his lemon tarts. Recently, I think. But wow! He’s met Lance, I mean, actually met a mermaid and he kept this from me?” Pidge digs in their pocket. “I’m gonna—”

“Pidge! No, no, please, don’t…”

“But Hunk knows about Lance! Like actually knows him. To teach someone sign, it takes a long time, right?”

“W-well… yeah, but…”

“Then Hunk probably knows way more about Lance than you and I combined. Plus, Lance would probably be happy to see him.”

Keith looks down at Lance who looks up at him with a bright, excited grin. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right…” He sighs and leans back onto his arms, propping himself up.

Pidge shoots Hunk a text and continues fiddling with their phone. “Don’t worry. It’s not like we’re going to crowd your special spot,” they snicker as they stand and walk out the cave.

Keith blushes and pouts. It was _his_ spot, dammit…

Lance perks up and looks at the exit before looking over at Keith. He floats in between Keith’s legs and pokes his knee. Keith looks back at Lance and tilts his head. “Hm?”

Then Lance is _hauling his fishy butt out of the water_ and dragging himself up Keith’s body as Keith frantically backpedals. He doesn’t make it too far before Lance has Keith pinned under him, his chin to Keith’s chest.

“Lance!” Keith whisper-shouts, his entire body shivering from the water soaking into his clothes and from Lance’s cold skin and scales. Lance pulls himself up some more, his stomach settling at Keith’s hips.

Lance does that cooing giggle and plays with Keith’s hair. Keith notes the scales by his eyes seem to pulse dimly and his eyes sparkle with mirth. He’s smirking down at Keith playfully and his tail is slowly weaving itself in and out of the pool.

Keith has to steady his breathing, squeezing his eyes shut as he starts to feel that _pull_ again. Especially when Lance starts humming. His eyes relax as the tension starts to fade from him and he begins to feel drowsy. His eyes flutter open and Lance is smiling softly down at him, pupils blowing.

Keith can faintly hear a purring sound and it grows in volume when Lance leans in and nuzzles along Keith’s jaw and into his neck. He feels Lance breathe in deeply, purr stuttering, before he hums an exhale. He pushes himself up and looks absolutely pleased with himself, something mysteriously predatory sparkling in his eyes and darkening his smirk before Keith closes his eyes again.

 

* * *

 

When he wakes it’s to a whine and a new voice piping up.

“I don’t _care_ if he’s warm, you _need_ to let him up.”

Keith groans and presses his hand to his eyes and blinks them open groggily. “Wha…”

Suddenly the weight is being lifted off of him by two muscular brown arms, followed by a cry. A cry that _pierces_ his chest and makes him sit up in a panic to see a pouty Lance being placed back in the water. Keith places a hand over his hammering chest and breathes out a relieved sigh.

Wait.

What is he relieved about?

“Are you alright, Keith?” Pidge asks, crouching next to him and hand on his shoulder.

“Y...yeah I’m… fine? What happened?”

“I went to go get Hunk and when I came back you were asleep? Under Lance. And he was just playing with your hair and touching your face and neck. He got really happy to see Hunk but he wouldn’t get off of you.”

Keith blinks and looks up at Hunk before back to Pidge. “How long ago was that?”

“Couldn’t have been like ten minutes. Hunk was awake and you know the Garrison is, like, down the beach, right?”

Huh. Convenient. “Right…”

He looks down to Lance who is pouting up at him and has a hand reaching out toward his foot, brushing his ankle shyly.

“Did you fall or something?” Pidge asks, looking at where Lance is gently touching Keith’s ankle.

“No, I… Lance just… climbed out of the water and startled me is all.”

“He’s very interested in human things,” Hunk chimes in. “I’ve known him for about a year now. I haven’t had much of a breakthrough language-wise but he picked up sign language a lot quicker than I expected him to.”

“Our languages must be pretty similar…” Pidge mutters.

“He likes singing. It’s really pretty but I don’t think it’s meant for above water? Like, when he sings underwater it’s a whole ‘nother story.”

Keith blinks down at Lance who’s been looking between him and Hunk, but seems to really have his attention on Keith.

Keith sits up and scoots closer to the pool while Pidge and Hunk are busy talking amongst themselves and Lance makes himself at home between Keith’s knees when he dips into the pool.

“I heard your singing last night. Was that you above or below water?” He asks in a hushed tone.

Lance lifts up and rests each elbow on each of Keith’s thighs, pulling himself up more so his stomach is half exposed. Keith’s eyes follow the movement and he blushes a bit when Lance’s muscles flex, showing off some of his abs before he relaxes again. Keith’s eyes snap back up to Lance’s eyes and drop down to his hands when he brings them to his attention.

Lance holds his hands up, palms down and fingertips facing each other. He brings his right hand back toward him and arcs it down under his left hand.

 **Below**.

“And I was able to hear it above water, wow…” Keith watches Lance grow a little shy, smiling softly, but he still seems proud of himself. He ducks his head and Keith and spot a faint blush on his cheeks. “One heck of a merman, then,” he whispers with a small smile of his own. He won’t admit how soft he sounded to himself or how fond the words came out.

Lance makes this purring trill before a small whine slips out and he’s ducking himself under the water, hands sliding down to rest just under Keith’s knees, against his shins. Keith silently chuckles and sits back, propping himself up again.

Okay, this guy is really cute. Merman be damned, Keith likes what he sees. And Lance is completely adorable. Even if he’s got big, sharp chompers and can’t speak. Even if he’s freezing cold almost all the time. He could get used to that, Keith thinks.

He’s brought back out of his thoughts when Pidge pops a squat next to him and Hunk on his other side.

“What’s he doing?”

“Dunno…” Keith mutters, pursing his lips, kicking one leg out playfully.

“Hm.” Pidge glances at Keith sidelong, tilting their head a bit. “Hunk tells me Lance was quick to pick up sign language but as far as teaching him words, he’s not had any progress. In a year.”

Keith won’t admit the defeat he feels from hearing those words, covering it up with a sigh. “Oh. Well, with a linguist it should be easier, right?”

“I’m not sure. Anyone can teach someone how to speak a new language. If Hunk had trouble with it in a year of knowing Lance, I’m not sure it’s actually possible.”

Keith frowns, feeling his heart chip. It saddens him thinking he won’t be able to hear Lance’s voice above water or be able to communicate with him outside of signing. He shouldn’t feel sad, but he does. He’s used to not hearing Shiro’s voice aside from mumbles when he signs, and he’s not sad about it.

Well, he _is_ but it doesn’t feel the same. It’s a different kind of sad. Keith’s sad _for_ Shiro.

But right now, Keith’s sad for himself.

Lance pulls on Keith’s legs to pull himself out of the water and immediately nuzzles into Keith’s neck. The movement alone startles Keith that he nearly topples backwards. There’s a shout from Hunk and a startled noise from Pidge, but Keith can only hear the purring from Lance as he tucks himself there at Keith’s collarbones. Lance’s purring and his own frantic heartbeat.

He hears a sort of growl and Keith panics only a little before the purring is back. Keith’s eyes flutter and he relaxes, leaning into the touch as his eyes close. He feels himself calm down, heart slowing.

He feels the press of something cold to his collarbones before it’s pulling away, pulling his heart with it. He feels himself lean forward before his eyes crack open, locking with piercing blue. He feels a steady, broad hand on his shoulder pulling him back and causing him to blink as he’s pushed back to a sitting position.

“Hey, hey, woah, Keith, careful. You about fell in the water.” Hunk frowns, removing his hand.

He hadn’t realized he was leaning that far forward.

Keith blinks a few more times and looks down at the water. Lance is gone.

 

* * *

 

They end up waiting a bit for Lance to resurface but he doesn’t.

They end up talking about different ways to better communicate with Lance.

They, as in Hunk and Pidge because Keith lingers back inside the cave as they leave, continue talking about various things about Lance. Keith kind of tunes them out as they leave. Pidge does stall at the entrance to ask if he’s going to be okay and Keith tells them “yeah, I’m fine. I’ll just pack up and leave in a bit,” when he really doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Hunk won’t be here, he’s gotta work late tomorrow, so it’ll just be me.”

Keith nods and waves at Pidge and Hunk before they leave.

Lance will need help back to the ocean again, right? He doesn’t plan on staying in this cave until tide comes in, right?

He also wants to figure out why every time Lance gets close to him, he immediately feels this sense of calm. Like lulling him into a dream. Why his eyes droop and his heart rate slows and he feels like he’s _home_.

Wants to know why _Lance_ feels like home.

Because he really shouldn’t. He’s a merman, afterall.

Keith leans over and dips his hand into the lukewarm water, gently playing over the surface. He hums to himself in thought.

Then, for whatever reason, he finds himself standing and pulling off his shirt, tossing it somewhere behind him. He brushes a thumb over his long-faded scars out of habit before dropping his hands to the tie of his sweatpants. He kicks them back toward his shirt when they drop to his ankles, leaving him in just his briefs.

He sits back down and dips his legs into the water before scooting forward and gently lowering himself into the pool. He holds onto the rock beside him and scans the dark waters. Even with Lance’s glowing marks, eyes, and the lamp Keith carries with him, it’s kind of difficult to see. He pushes a hand out under the water and notes he can only really see down to his forearm before things get blurry and dark.

Keith frowns and rethinks his whole plan, his cheeks heating up in an embarrassed blush.

“What the fuck am I doing…” he whispers to himself, turning and placing both elbows on the ledge to haul himself back up.

He hears the giggle first before he’s being yanked from the ledge by his foot, having a split second to really get any kind of air. Which, was wasted when he shouts instead of pulling in air.

He’s pulled underwater and down, down, down. His eyes are squeezed shut and his heart is _loud_ in his ears. He hears a giggle following a trill as the world stops moving around him and he’s left floating.

He opens his eyes, not knowing what he expected when he’s met with pitch black darkness.

His nose and throat burn from the small amount of saltwater that caught in his mouth and nose. He blinks his eyes a couple times to get used to the sting of salt. He _really_ needs to breathe and he pushes his arms out above him and starts swimming toward the surface. He doesn’t know how deep he is; his ears haven’t popped at least.

He hears a sad whine just before he breaches the surface and takes a big gulp of air, coughing and hacking at the small amounts of saltwater caught in his throat. He clears his throat when he’s done and rubs his neck, blinking and scowling at the water. “Lance, what the fuck was that? I can’t breathe under there like you!”

There’s silence before a small coo and Lance appears in front of him, his nose and down still below water. His eyes glow and Keith’s able to see this apologetic expression in the form of tilted eyebrows and puppy-dog eyes.

“I’m not mad,” he sighs, weaving his arms in the water to keep him floating. “Just don’t pull me down, I can’t breathe water like you.”

Lance seems to pause for a minute, thinking, before swimming closer. Keith backstrokes slowly until he’s bumping against the rock ledge, fumbling to get a grip on the slippery rocks. He watches as Lance dips under the water and disappears again. Keith blinks, heart pounding in his throat as he waits a moment before leaning forward, searching the water.

He nearly—keyword _nearly_ —screams when Lance reappears in front of his chest and pushes Keith back against the rocks,nuzzling his face into Keith’s neck. Keith wonders, somewhere in the back of his mind, if, since Lance has sharp teeth, Lance is predatory like a shark. If he can smell his blood. If he can hear it pumping through his body at a remarkably fast pace.

Then he feels Lance’s cold hands gently and hesitantly touch his sides. Feels them gain confidence when all Keith does is twitch, sliding up to his chest and Keith’s stomach drops. He feels that split-second panic, adrenaline boosting, as Lance ghosts over his scars before continuing. It leaves him dizzy, light-headed, and warm all over.

One eye flutters open as he subconsciously tilts his head for Lance to have more room. Lance, who, coos happily and purrs as he nuzzles the point where his clavicle meets his trapezius, making Keith practically _melt_ with a small moan, his mouth dropping open.

“Lance… Wh… what are you… doing...?” Keith lets go of the ledge with one hand and settles it on Lance’s shoulder. He feels Lance’s right hand still at his ribs and the other ghost back down his chest, down his stomach, settling at his hip. He feels Lance’s tail curl around his right foot. Feels pressure when Lance pulls Keith’s waist, pulling his lower body and Lance’s closer.

Lance pushes forward at the same time he pulls on Keith’s hip, and Keith gasps when his hips are pulled flush with Lance’s.

“A-ah!” Keith breathes, eyes closing again. He feels that split-second fear again, the kind that tells him something’s _not right in his body_ but pushes it down and away, swallowing around another moan when Lance—unintentionally?—rocks forward. Keith’s legs part as heat fills deep in his gut and pools lower, crawling up his spine and settling in his chest and cheeks.

He bites his lip when Lance purrs and drags his tongue over Keith’s skin. He hears a clicking noise and he hears a sort of arcing coo with it. He has this vague thought of a whale noise before another small wave of pleasure passes through him when Lance rocks his hips again.

Lance leans back and Keith opens his eyes to see the pulsing of the scales near Lance’s eyes again. He can see Lance’s pupils have blown wide and sparkle dangerously. His own eyes flutter, trying to stay awake and push through the mysterious haze that takes over his mind.

He feels cold hands cup his jaw and cheeks as his eyes close, a breath against his lips, then pressure. Lips like ice pressing to his in a delicate but purposeful kiss.

He feels his breath literally stolen from his lungs as Lance pulls away. Feels himself lean toward Lance’s cold presence, chasing him. His eyes slowly open as if roused by sleep when Lance chuckles in front of him.

Blue again. Sparkling, stunning, gorgeous deep blue.

“Keith, right?” Lance grins, dangerous smirk in place as he flashes his sharp shark-like teeth.

Keith just… stares. Focuses on… well, nothing, except how _blue_ Lance’s eyes are.

Lance’s smirk grows and he moves one hand from Keith’s cheek to his hair, playing with the raven locks behind his ear. Patiently waiting. Watching Keith soak in what the _fuck_ just happened.

Keith blinks, snapping back to Earth.

“Wh—”

“Welcome back,” Lance chuckles lowly, and holy _shit_ Lance can _talk_?!

“You—”

“Mhm…”

“Talking?”

“Oh, point for mullet,” Lance chuckles again.

Keith frowns. “Mullet?”

“Your hair. Obviously.” Lance continues to play with his hair as if that answers his question. “Business in the front,” Lance starts, moving his other hand down Keith’s body and around his waist, “party in the back?” Lance squeezes Keith’s ass through his briefs.

“W-woah, hey!” Keith blushes hard, his voice cracking just a bit. He pushes at Lance’s shoulder with his hand and scowls. “How’re you able to talk now?”

“Mm… trade secret,” Lance winks, bringing the hand that was in his hair down Keith’s jaw, over his cheek, and brushing a thumb over Keith’s bottom lip. “Hate to kiss and tell…”

Oh, if you could just _see_ the look on Keith’s face. Blank, processing. Practically can _see_ the wheels turning in his head. The mouse working overtime.

“Wait.”

Lance smiles, eyes half lidded, his tail moving up Keith’s leg.

“Did you just… _Starfire_ me?”

Lance’s smile slowly fades as he purses his lips, tilts his head, and furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “Star… fire?”

“Holy shit, you _did_ …”

“What uh…”

“Does this, wait, this makes me Robin?” And after a beat, “holy _fuck_ , I _am_ Robin…” he whispers, looking over Lance’s shoulder as he has this new revelation about himself.

Lance is… lost. “Wait, are you not Keith?” Lance leans back a little. “What’s going on?”

This kicks Keith back into the present as he shakes his head and reaches out for Lance. “No! I _am_ Keith. Starfire and Robin are from a comic. Basically Starfire is from another planet and she kisses people to learn their language. She kisses Robin to learn his language. You just Starfired me,” Keith explains in a rush, searching Lance’s eyes. “That’s what you did, right?”

“Uh… more or less?” Lance shrugs.

Lance’s hands are back at Keith’s waist and in his explanation, Keith moves both of his hands to Lance’s shoulders. He looks around and notices he’s no longer backed up on the ledge and is in fact floating a foot away. He feels Lance’s tailfin brush his calf, Lance’s hold on his hips light but guiding. He hooks his free leg over Lance’s hip as he situates himself, and Lance lets go of his other leg. He then hooks that leg over Lance’s hip and locks his ankles over one of Lance’s fins.

“So, um…” Suddenly, everything he wanted to ask Lance gets thrown out his brain, completely blanking as he stares at Lance’s dimly glowing eyes. “Uh…”

Lance chuckles and pulls Keith’s hips back toward him, leaning in to nuzzle into Keith’s neck again. Keith stiffens a bit and he feels Lance hesitate.

“Are you scared of me?” Lance whispers, though it sounds loud next to his ear, in the quiet of the cave. He’s a hundred percent sure that Lance can hear his slowly climbing pulse.

Keith doesn’t answer. He bites his lip, tilts his head, and tightens his grip slightly on Lance’s shoulders. Lance hums. A short “mm…” that sounds both sad and disappointed.

Keith feels his heart shoot up in his throat and drop to his gut simultaneously. “No it’s… not that…”

Lance presses his nose to Keith’s neck and waits, breathing him in.

“I just… don’t know anything about you, other than you kiss people to speak their language,” he smiles wryly, heart stammering when he opens his eyes and looks over toward his lamp and bag.

Lance hums and Keith can hear a small purr, but… it feels like it’s coming from the back of his mind? It disorientates Keith a bit, causing him to shake his head slightly and blink rapidly.

“What do you want to know?” Lance asks, voice smooth and hoarse at the same time, sending a shiver down Keith’s spine.

Keith swallows around a lump in his throat. “What… what _are_ you, for starters…?”

Lance brushes his nose against Keith’s pulse and presses a small kiss there. “A siren,” he says, plain and simple.

“A… siren? As in the kinds that lure sailors to their deaths? Those kinds of sirens?”

Lance scoffs at that and pulls away. “No, that’s ridiculous. We hypnotize our prey, yes, but we haven’t attacked humans. That must be a fairy-tale by your kind.”

Keith shrugs. “It’s a fairly common tale humans like to spread. Kind of like tall-tales. Sea-shanties. Songs about beautiful women who lure young men to their deaths out in the open sea. Eat them,” Keith explains, and he watches Lance pale in horror.

“No! I’d never eat a human, gross, are you kidding?” Lance shrieks, a piercing trill knocking around in Keith’s brain, causing him to shut his eyes tightly and hold his head in agony.

“Ugh, what is that?”

Lance covers his mouth with one hand, accidentally splashing Keith as he pulls his hand out of the water. Keith sputters and wipes his face.

“You could hear that?” Lance asks carefully, eyes narrowing as he leans in closer.

“I… Yeah? It was a purr at first like, in the back of my head? Then when you yelled just now it was like a sharp stab to my brain, ugh…” Keith rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms.

Lance’s eyes seem to study him and roam around his face.

“Oh, earlier, too. You whined when Hunk lifted you off of me and it made me panic? Like someone pulling a rope on my chest.” Keith looks up, resting his hands against Lance’s shoulders again.

Keith stills, breath catching, as he sees the awe on Lance’s face, his eyes wide and mouth parted a little. His scales no longer pulse but glow steadily, blue on top of the blue glow of his eyes. He seems to be looking at Keith in a new light, taking in everything Keith’s willing to give him.

And Keith, honestly, wants to give him everything. But…

“There’s…” Keith starts, looking down and away. “...nevermind, it’s nothing.” He bites his lip as he thinks better of what he was going to say and looks back up to find Lance looking at him with determination. Determination and, and something else that Keith can’t place. A spark in his eye that he can’t name.

Keith shifts his legs, unintentionally shifting his hips against Lance’s, and he feels Lance stiffen, his fins twitching. Keith blushes and quickly unhooks his legs, lets go of Lance’s shoulders to drop under the water to grip Lance’s wrists. He tugs them gently off his hips.

Lance stays oddly quiet the entire time, letting Keith push his hands away. Keith refuses to look up and at Lance, instead he turns in the water and gently swims back toward his lamp.

“I’m…” Keith starts, gripping the edge of the pool. “I’m glad you can talk now, Lance,” he says, smiling over his shoulder but it feels forced, even to him. His chest aches when he looks at Lance, and when he turns back around to haul himself out of the water, Lance surges forward and grips his ankle.

“I’m sorry, Keith, I didn’t mean to make you upset or anything.”

“No, no you… you didn’t,” Keith assures him, turning slightly to cast him a small smile. A sincere one this time. “There are just… I don’t know… Everything feels so complicated right now, kind of confusing…” Keith looks away again with a frown.

Lance lets go of Keith’s ankle and he settles back into the pool, facing Lance again.

“Complicated?”

Keith chews his bottom lip and he feels his face heat up. “Yeah. Like… the fact that you’re a siren and I’m a human and I shouldn’t…” Keith cuts himself off, the words unable to get past his tongue.

“Shouldn’t…?” Lance prompts, clearly wanting to know as he inches forward.

Keith blushes harder. All those tales of sirens seducing their prey and feasting upon them still grip his mind. A predator will say anything to get the prey to believe and fall under their spell, won’t they? Why was Lance any different?

Keith shakes his head the same moment Lance reaches out for his hip and brushes his thumb against the jut of the bone there. His touch is so cool and soothing to his burning skin.

He shouldn’t feel this stupid attraction to a fuckin siren. To a thing that could eat him alive if he so wanted. So _easily_ wanted. It makes his heart pick up in interested arousal, heat pooling in his abdomen with each tender brush of Lance’s thumb.

The purr is back. Soothing. Luring him into a state of a woozy haze.

“Shouldn’t…”

Lance trills softly in question as he slips into Keith’s space, his hands returning their hold on Keith’s hips. He leans in and brushes his forehead against Keith’s while Keith’s hands find purchase on Lance’s shoulders. Keith’s eyes flutter close and he sighs.

“You’re so handsome, Keith…” Lance whispers a purr against his cheek, his lips stinging where they brush his heated skin.

“Sh… _fuck_ ,” Keith breathes, shivering and tilting his head to bare his neck. Doesn’t even think about it, just submits to Lance willingly. He hears Lance coo in response and leave a trail of light kisses down to his shoulder. He’s pushing against Keith, pushing him against the rock wall and _further_. He presses his hips flush to Keith’s, causing his legs to open with a moan.

Lance knows.

He _knows_.

Lance _knows_ what Keith was trying to say, yet he’s coming at him as if saying _yes you  should_.

_Yes, you should be attracted._

_Yes, you can like me_.

 _Yes, I like you, too_.

Keith’s breath hitches when Lance’s tail waves and rolls Lance’s hips against his own. “Mm!”

Lance trills lowly, fingers tightening on Keith’s hips, pulling him closer. “You’re so gorgeous… so hot…” He rolls his tongue over Keith’s collarbones and sucks gently on his neck with a soft growl.

“Lance…” His mind feels like it’s weaving through thick honey. Sweet and warm, drawing him in, making him crave more. He slides his hands over Lance’s shoulders, one hand cradling the back of his neck and the other settling over a shoulder blade. “Lance…”

Keith gasps when Lance nips his skin gently, making his heart about burst out of his chest. The adrenaline from how easily Lance could hurt him mixes near perfectly with the arousal in his gut. He bites his lip and lifts his legs to wrap them around Lance’s hips again, resuming their earlier position.

Lance purrs and Keith feels a small twinge in the back of his head. His eyes flutter open and his hands come to cup Lance’s jaw as he pulls away, panting slightly. Keith’s eyes jump from Lance’s eyes, lidded and pupils blown, to his pulsing scales high on his darkened cheeks. His disheveled, slightly damp hair to his lips, slightly parted with each breath.

Funny, even with Lance blushing, he’s still cool to the touch. Significantly less so, but still cool.

Keith’s fingers run over the scales in awe and he feels a swell of affection when Lance closes his eyes and leans into the touch, his purr growing in volume. Lance’s hands smooth up Keith’s sides and wrap around his middle, holding him gently.

“I wanna court you, Keith,” Lance whispers. “Want you to be mine…”

Keith’s breath hitches when Lance opens his eyes and looks straight at him. Keith feels a tug on his chest again, same as when Lance was lifted off his chest by Hunk, but softer, almost timid.

He doesn’t deny the attraction he feels now. He embraces it. He accepts and pushes forward. Pushes forward and gently captures Lance’s icy lips in a soft kiss. He feels Lance push forward, lifting his chin to kiss at a better angle, before pulling back.

It was such a simple kiss, this time with different intentions. Lance wasn’t pushing him, merely accepting what Keith was initiating. Keith, however, is giving Lance permission, and he wants to make it abundantly clear.

“Okay,” he whispers against Lance’s lips before bringing him back in for a kiss, the hand on the back of Lance’s neck pulling him in, deepening the kiss. He feels a burst of emotion run through him, making him shiver.

He feels that pull in his chest and can identify it as longing. Can finally put a name to it. Even though it feels different than when Hunk lifted Lance off of him before. That felt more like a panic. This… This is nice. It’s warm and melts through his veins wherever Lance’s hands roam.

Up his back, the base of his neck, back down his sides. Lance purrs when Keith moans into his mouth, opening on a gasp when Lance’s claws scratch down his sides. Lance takes the opportunity to nibble on Keith’s bottom lip gently, sending another shiver through Keith’s body. He cants his hips against Lance’s, his hands falling from Lance’s shoulders to wrap around his torso and pull him closer.

He brings his bottom lip into his mouth when Lance lets go, worries it gently between his teeth before diving back in to resume kissing. His head felt both light and heavy, dizzy and covered in molasses. He could feel that purr at the base of his skull.

Lance’s hands stop at the hem of Keith’s briefs and he tugs them down. Keith gasps and moans when Lance squeezes his ass. He rocks back into the feeling and rolls forward, creating delicious friction that stokes that warmth in his gut.

Lance’s fins flare and he growls, and Keith somehow knows it’s not a warning growl. It _feels_ possessive. So Keith rocks his hips again, moaning as Lance gasps, opening his mouth enough for Keith to run his tongue over his cold lips. Lance’s fingers twitch on Keith’s ass and squeeze harder, digging in his claws.

Keith arches his back and rocks against Lance’s hips with a deep moan. Lance moans in tandem and pushes his hips up to meet Keith’s.

Then Keith feels something suddenly as he rolls against Lance’s hips again. It feels like a bump and it add just the _right_ amount of resistance for stoking that fire under his skin. He rolls and pushes down against it, feeling it rub _just right_ , coaxing a moan out of both of them.

Lance nuzzles into Keith’s neck with a small whine and pushes his hips against Keith’s, the bump increasing in size until he’s unable to roll over it. It blocks Keith’s next roll and he groans in frustration, the friction now not nearly as good as just a few seconds ago.

“ _Lance_ …” Keith whimpers. He suddenly craves that friction, feeling a sting behind his eyes. His eyes flutter open and he wonders when he shut them. He pulls his body back a fraction so he can look down between them.

Lance’s tail is lit up brightly, casting them in a cool aura of blue-white light. He can clearly see the bump wasn’t a bump.

It extends from a slit just below Lance’s hips. It’s fairly long, kind of narrow and blunt at the tip, getting thicker and a few more rounder ridges as it comes to the slit. It also… moves… on it’s own…

It curls and rests against Keith’s hip, and Keith feels just how thick it is. Keith bites his lip and moans, rocking against it and watching as it pulls back and rubs against Keith’s hip again. Lance’s fins shudder and he moans, sucking at Keith’s neck.

“Fuck, Lance…” Keith breathes, rocking his hips in rhythm with Lance’s thrusts, his head falling back against the rocks gently.

“Keith,” Lance coos, pressing open-mouthed kisses to Keith’s neck, the teeth scraping just enough to have Keith’s back arching in pleasure. “Fuck, you’re so gorgeous… so warm… _mm_ …”

Keith grips at Lance’s shoulders, pulling him closer with a moan. Lance pushes his hands down and over Keith’s thighs, pulling his briefs with him. Keith unlocks his legs from Lance’s hips and reaches down to pull his briefs off, slopping them onto the rock behind him, hopefully in the direction of his stuff.

He shivers as Lance’s tail wraps around his ankle again. He looks down and reaches out toward Lance’s dick, running his hand over the tip and down the side, mapping out the ridges. He gets to the base and wraps his hand around him, feeling his dick pulse and twitch as he squeezes.

Lance keens, his back arching and hands gripping Keith’s shoulders.

Keith moans and pulls his hand back to wrap around Lance’s neck, bringing his legs up to wrap back around Lance’s hips. Lance reaches down and ghosts over Keith’s stomach, brushing his hips and continuing lower. Keith has that split second of doubt before it’s extinguished again.

He doesn’t care. He knows Lance won’t care.

But he does pause as Lance reaches him and finds not what he was expecting. He pauses and looks back up at Keith’s face.

Keith bites his lip. Okay, maybe he _should_ have told Lance earlier. But he didn’t. Now they’re here.

“I… I wasn’t… I’m not…” Keith starts, all explanations dying halfway as he feels that doubt crawling back up and settling in his throat.

He feels Lance purr soothingly in the back of his head and feels him nuzzles against his neck, his jaw, pressing a gently kiss to his cheek.

“You’re handsome,” he whispers with confidence, removing his hand and settling it back on Keith’s hip. “If you don’t want to do anything, it’s okay. I don’t want you uncomfortable… I want to court you… mate you,” he breathes against Keith’s ear, feeling Keith shiver and grip his shoulders tightly. “If you’ll have me… But I don’t want you uncomfortable…”

Keith leans forward and hides his burning face in Lance’s neck. He has so many questions but he’s… honestly too turned on for them right now.

Keith cups Lance’s jaw again as he pulls back, rocks his hips in a gentle sway against Lance’s dick, and smiles. “Thank you… but I want this just as much as you…”

Lance surges forward, capturing Keith’s lips in a searing kiss, heat and ice meeting and melting almost perfectly. They both moan, Keith licking into Lance’s mouth and carefully tracing his sharp teeth.

Keith can feel a prod that works it’s way up and bumps against his growth, causing him to shudder and gasp. He rocks against the head of Lance’s dick as it rubs against his growth. Keith has to break the kiss, arching as a wave of pleasure hits him like a freight train.

“ _Fuck_ … Lance, please...” Keith whines, nails scratching at Lance’s shoulder blades.

Lance responds with a whimper and a nibble to his neck. He rocks his hips once before his dick prods further, down, against Keith’s front opening. Keith groans, almost growls, and rocks against the tip, wanting to push himself down onto Lance’s dick.

Lance licks at Keith’s neck and he feels a pressure at the back of his skull. A question. Keith bites his lip and nods.

“Please, Lance, yes…”

Lance purrs gently, kissing his shoulder as his dick rubs it’s tip against Keith’s opening before pushing inside carefully.

Keith opens almost eagerly before clenching down around Lance’s dick with a throaty moan. He pants and thrusts his own hips against Lance’s dick, taking him in slowly, surprisingly… easy?

Honestly, Keith thought sex in the ocean, or really the water in general, was tough. With no lube and all. Maybe some burning with the salt in the ocean, but… Keith is very surprised to find that he’s able to take Lance’s dick _so_ easily. There’s practically no burn either.

Keith clenches down around Lance and feels him shudder, feels the dick inside him jump and… curl…

Why is he acting surprised.

Keith moans and works his hips in small circles until Lance is fully sheathed inside of him. Keith sighs in pleasure, feeling full and _whole_. The stretch is delicious and Keith rocks against the feeling, spikes of pleasure shooting up his spine and fueling the warmth in his abdomen.

Lance pants at his shoulder, stuttering gasps where his lips brush against Keith’s heated skin on every exhale.

“Hn… fuck, Lance…” Keith breathes, smoothing his hands down Lance’s back. He rocks his hips gently, wanting more but not quite ready, before he feels the curl deep inside him. He squeezes around Lance as he arches with a moan, nails digging into the skin near Lance’s shoulders. “ _Fuck_!”

Keith whines and rocks his hips some more, feeling Lance’s dick curl and rub itself deeper inside. “Holy shit, Lance—”

“Keith, you’re so _warm_ …” Lance breathes, almost reverently at his neck, licking a stripe up and pressing a kiss to just under the corner of his jaw. “Fuck, so _hot_ … you feel so good, how can you feel so _good_ ,” he’s rambling, “so perfect… fuck…”

Keith keens, hiding his face in Lance’s neck, embarrassed. He’s far from perfect and all this praise makes him flush with warmth all over, filling his head with a thick, sweet honey.

Lance pulls out just a bit before thrusting gently back in. Keith bites his lip, shivering and swallowing around a moan.

Lance’s dick continues to curl and rub deep inside him, searching, until it brushes up against the bundle of nerves that have Keith’s eyes light up behind his eyelids. His mouth falls open on a shout, nails digging into Lance’s shoulders causing his fins to flare again.

Lance trills in concern, pulling back and stilling his hips. His dick protests and jumps a few times before curling again against that bundle of nerves.

“Hh— _ah_! L-Lance, it feels so good, right there—!” He’s cut off by another moan when Lance’s dick repeats with another curl, rubbing and twisting itself before it starts thrusting in small, aborted movements.

Lance groans, bowing his head to Keith’s shoulder, the water sploshing with Lance’s movements as he lowers his hands to Keith’s thighs, squeezing the muscles. His tail waves in the water under them as he rolls his hips into Keith.

That purring, which never really left the back of his skull, seems to triple and fuel the warmth in his abdomen, down his spine. He feels like his veins are on fire and at any moment he’s gonna—

Lance rolls his hips at the same time Keith arches his back, hitting that spot inside him _so perfectly_ , making him shout and convulse, his orgasm washing over him. He pulses and clenches down on Lance’s dick, feeling it—although numbly through his orgasm—writhe against his walls.

Lance stills, his fins flaring out wide, panting heavily at Keith’s shoulder. “K-Keith—”

Keith’s head is spinning and he feels so _good_ , so _full_ , so _satisfied_. He clings limply to Lance’s shoulders, one hand falling into the water with a splash as he comes down from his high. He hums softly against the purring in his head, eyes closed as he relaxes a little in the afterglow before Lance’s dick gives a few more short thrusts, so deep inside Keith.

Keith moans breathily, still trying to catch his breath as his walls flutter from over-sensitivity. “Nngh… L-Lance…”

Lance whines and gives a few final rolls before his tail slaps the rock under them with a final thrust, his dick twitching as he comes deep inside Keith. His mouth had opened but Keith doesn’t hear any sound. He feels Lance’s open mouth at his trapezius, the faint touch of sharp teeth making him shudder.

Lance gently closes his mouth, teeth scraping Keith’s skin just a little, not nearly enough to pierce skin but enough to have Keith shivering. He swallows and pants as his dick continues to twitch and empty into Keith.

Keith’s still spinning from his orgasm when Lance’s fins twitch and slowly settle down. He hums and brings his shaking hands up to cup Lance’s jaw, pulling his face away from his neck to press gentle kisses over his jaw, his cheek, and finally his lips.

Lance responds with a low growl, wrapping his arms around Keith’s waist and midsection, pulling him close.

Lance is the one that pulls away first, but he doesn’t go far. He rests his forehead against Keith’s, still breathing a little heavily.

When they’ve caught their breath, Keith looking into Lance’s eyes, Lance leans in a pecks him on the lips.

“I, um… we did this backwards…” Lance blushes, bottom lip jutting out in a pout.

Keith’s… very confused. “Backwards?”

“I… I wanted to court you first before mating…” he mumbles, looking down and away, trying to hide in Keith’s neck but Keith stops him before he can, cupping his jaw and pushing his cheeks up a little.

“Who says you can’t court me still?” Keith smirks, tilting his head slightly. “Just because we had sex doesn’t mean we’re mated, right?”

Lance hums. “Well, we’re bonded, but no, not mated.”

Keith’s smirk fades as confusion paints his expression. “Bonded?”

Lance nods, wrapping his hands around Keith’s wrists and pulling them down and to his chest.

“When you said you could feel me when I, um, wailed? Or when you said you felt this tug on your chest?” Lance explains, rubbing his thumbs over the back of Keith’s hands. “Bonded just means you can feel my thoughts. In merfolk, you can normally tell what someone is feeling right away if you’re bonded. My kind doesn’t exactly show emotion around one another. We don’t travel in shoals.”

Keith blinks and really wishes Pidge were here to get all this, but uh… yeah.

“While bonding is very common and a natural thing for us, it’s usually when we’ve mated with someone,” Lance whispers. “The fact that we can feel each other as if we’re bonded before we’re mated is… uh… for lack of a better word, amazing. Rare, and amazing.”

The twinkle and awestruck look is back on Lance’s face, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Keith’s cheek. Keith blushes and leans into the touch, pulling a happy coo from Lance.

Then Keith’s sitting up a little straighter.

“Wait, ‘the fact that we can feel each other’? Are you telling me you can feel _my_ emotions too?”

Lance shrinks a little, a shy smile appearing as he raises his shoulders in a small shrug. “A little. It’s… faint but, yeah…” He sighs, shoulders relaxing as his eyelids droop to half-mast and his smile becomes overly fond. Practically can see little hearts popping around his head.

“So when you kept pushing into my neck…”

“I was trying to calm you down, you were… freaking out a little…”

Keith shifts, wincing when he feels Lance’s dick start to shrink and withdraw. He’s then lifted out of the water to sit on the rocks. Almost immediately, he wishes he were back in the water with Lance.

“So we’re bonded, but not… mated… right?”

Lance nods.

“Okay so what qualifies as mating if what we just did wasn’t it?”

“Oh, we’ll have to give each other a bonding bite,” Lance happily explains, pointing to the spot where his shoulder meets his neck, his trapezius. “Our scent glands are located here. Tying in our saliva with the gland solidifies the mark and creates the bond.” Lance grins brightly up at Keith, propping himself up with his elbows on the rock next to Keith’s legs.

Keith blinks and raises a hand to rub at the place Lance kept hiding his face in.

“O-oh…” Keith swallows nervously. “Humans don’t… do that…”

Lance tilts his head. “What do humans do?”

“W-well, we go on dates, for starters. Get to know each other. Then, after a while, one proposes marriage to the other.”

“Dates?”

“Uh, I think that’s sort of like your courting.”

“Oh. Marriage?”

“Uh… yeah, it’s… it’s a sort of pact between two people… it’s hard to explain everything that goes into it.”

Lance nods with a soft coo before their conversation lapses into comfortable silence.

Just as Keith starts to turn and look for his… soaked briefs… Lance pipes up.

“Can I take you on a date?”

Keith spins around and looks back at Lance with wide eyes and a blush settling high in his cheeks. Why he’s blushing over being asked out after what just happened, he has no clue.

Keith bites his lip, looks down at the sopping wet and _cold_ fabric in his hands, and nods. “Mhm…”

Lance giggle-coos and pushes himself up and back, pushing himself into a backflip and making a small splash when he lands.

Keith chuckles and stands to pull on his briefs and re-dress himself.

He ends up carrying Lance back to the ocean on wobbly legs, finding the tide starting to come in so he doesn’t end up walking too far. He sets Lance down when he’s knee-deep in the water, but not before kissing him tenderly.

That little purr pipes up again in the back of his mind along with a chirp that he can’t quite put a name to yet. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lance?”

Lance trills. “Yes, and allow me to sing for you tomorrow?”

Keith chuckles and pushes Lance’s cute face away. “We’ll see.”

He gets a fake, pouty whine in return before Lance smiles up at him and turns, swimming away. Keith stays standing for a bit, watching the glow from Lance until it disappears.

He sighs and turns, freezing when he hears the same tune that piped up that first night. He smiles, biting his lip and rubs the back of his neck as he walks away, his heart feeling like it’s caged a thousand hummingbirds.

 

* * *

 

“ _How the quiznak did you get him to talk_?!”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! let me know what you think or maybe what your fave part was? :3c  
> honestly i might make a second part where they court and shit who knows
> 
>  
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> [tumblr](http://gravastellar.tumblr.com/)


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